The Classics Are Playing Their Cards Right…

In a market that seems to have new products daily, you eventually realize that, ironically, in the end, the classics are doing pretty well for themselves. In fact, in 2009, the magazine CosmétiqueMag headlined, ‘Everything fades away… except the Classics’. For new products, it’s quite difficult to break into the Top 10, while the list contains fragrances created 10 or 20 years ago, and even quite a bit more.
With N°5 - a perfume that’s going on its 100 anniversary! - Chanel still manages to capture consumers’ spirit. And it’s not the only one. Sure, ads can help, with a lovely face or a TV commercial filmed like a Hollywood movie. But the success of fragrances like Shalimar (Guerlain, 1925), Aromatics Elixir (Clinique, 1971) and Eau Sauvage (Dior, 1966) undoubtedly lies in their formula. ‘Undoubtedly,’ because it’s hard to explain how a fragrance does … or doesn’t … become a classic.
What’s even more surprising is that new fragrance launches actually contribute to the success of the classics. Not just because consumers are put off by an overwhelming number of new items, which in fact are often limited editions. No, some new launches let houses to capitalize on their image. So recent creations like Classique X (Gaultier) and Pure White Linen (Estée Lauder) allow the houses to communicate on the theme of the original fragrances that inspired the flankers.
Which also allows them to introduce the former to a younger or different clientele. The same thing goes for Fahrenheit Absolute (Dior) and Azzaro pour Homme Elixir (Azzaro). While some men adopted one or the other of those new products, others were tempted to adopt the original Fahrenheit or Azzaro pour Homme, even though they were both designed more than 20 years ago.
Some of today’s new fragrances may become tomorrow’s classics. So we also asked our guest bloggers to share their opinions about tomorrow’s classic scents.